History-Social Science Content Standards  Grade 33.4 Students understand the role of rules and laws in our daily lives and the basic structure of the U.S. government
3.4.6 Describe the lives of American heroes who took risks to secure our freedoms.

2.0 Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material. They draw on a variety of comprehension strategies as needed, including generating and responding to essential questions, making predictions, and comparing information from several sources

2.4 recall major points in the text

2.5 distinguish main idea and supporting details in expository text

2.6 extract appropriate and significant information from text

2.7 follow simple step-by-step written instructions

Writing Strategies

1.0 Students write clear and coherent sentences and paragraphs that develop a central idea. Their writing considers audience and purpose. They successfully use the stages of the writing process.

1.1 Students create a paragraph that.

develops a topic sentence.

includes simple supporting facts and details.

Materials:
You will need to cut and have ready 11 x 14 construction paper or tag board for the student posters. If possible, providing extra paper for background mats will greatly enhance the eye appeal of the posters.

Also needed

Glue sticks

Scissors

Rulers

Pencils

Computers and paper

Access to a copy machine for student pictures

If you have Timeline Maker software for the computer, it will make the timelines much less time consuming.

Setting up the Lesson
Read through the directions with the students. If possible, create a sample Bio-Poster on another historical figure as a model. See the How to Make a Biography Board.

You may wish to have students work in teams, especially if resources are limited. Each student could be assigned to do some of the research and writing. One could be in charge of the timeline and another the graphics. Think about assigning these roles:

Photo Editor

Layout and Design Editor

Research Manager

Timeline Maker

Project organizer

Note Taking Practice
Print off a note taking sample or create one to show on the overhead. Work through one example with the students before they begin to work on their own.

Name of the source

Author

Page

Main fact or event:

Supporting information:

This activity is designed to promote writing, thinking, editing, and revision of history-social science research by promising that student work will be viewed by an audience beyond the classroom. The promise can be met if the teacher makes arrangements to hang the student work in prominent places in the school or in local stores, libraries, the school office or the district office. Since this is a new holiday, this should be fairly easy to arrange.

Lamination: Since these posters may be hung in windows, they will fade quickly unless preserved in some way. If it is possible to do at your school, laminate each poster.